First-time buyers for four-star Dorset guesthouse

The Rothesay, a four-star guesthouse in the affluent coastal village of Highcliffe in Dorset, has changed hands off a guide price of £1.395m.

The acquisition marks buyer Michael Finlay and his wife's first foray into hospitality.

The guesthouse, which is near Christchurch, has a good trading position near the beach and the bay and enjoys a high level of repeat trade. It is a five-minute walk from Highcliffe Castle and a five-minute drive from the New Forest.

Along with 14 en-suite bedrooms, the Rothesay offers a dining room, a residents' lounge, and a 10-foot, heated indoor swimming pool and sauna complex that is used by guest and fee-paying locals.

A patio in the small rear garden adjoins the complex, while the front of the property provides parking space.

The guesthouse also has four-bedroom owners' accommodation with a sitting room.

Business transfer agent Forum acted for the sellers.

By Angela Frewin